Patient Rights
To expect that the hospital will make reasonable response to your request for medically related services and offer alternatives for care needs not available at SOMC. If a decision is made to transfer you to another hospital, arrangements will be made that include an accepting physician to provide ongoing care. The organization makes decisions regarding the provision of ongoing care, treatment, services, or discharge based on the care, treatment and services required by the patient. You and/or your family will be involved in these decisions.
To considerate and respectful care. This care includes, where and when possible, consideration of your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs and preferences. You have the right to an environment that preserves your dignity and contributes to a positive self-image. You have the right to be free from mental, physical, sexual and verbal abuse, neglect and exploitation.
To, in collaboration with your physician, make decisions involving your health care. You have the right to be informed of your health status and participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care. You will be involved in resolving dilemmas about care, treatment and services. A surrogate decision maker, as allowed by law, is identified when a patient cannot make decisions about his or her care, treatment and service. The legally responsible representative approves care, treatment and service decisions. The family, as appropriate and as allowed by law, with permission of the patient or surrogate decision maker, is involved in care, treatment and service decisions.
To obtain, unless contraindicated by the medical situation, reasonably complete and current information from your physician concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms that you can reasonably be expected to understand.
To receive from your physician information (advantages and disadvantages of treatment, recuperative problems, chances for successful outcome, result of non-treatment and alternatives to the procedure) necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment.
To have reasonable access to the Ethics Committee of Southern Ohio Medical Center.
To be advised if the hospital proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation or research affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research or studies.
To accept, refuse or withdraw from treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of your actions.
To reasonably expect that all communications and records pertaining to your care should be treated as confidential by the health care team members.
To formulate advance directives or appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions, and a responsibility to present these advance directives to the hospital.
To examine and receive an explanation of the hospital bill regardless of the source of payment.
To know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient.
For those who are represented by guardians (including neonates, children, adolescents or geriatric patients) to have your needs and wishes reviewed and evaluated, as well as the needs and wishes of your guardian regarding your care. Conflicts that arise may be referred to the Ethics Committee. The final authority rests with the appropriate courts, except in case of emergencies.
To the initiation of, review, and when possible, resolution of complaints or grievances concerning the quality of care.
To pastoral care, and other spiritual services.
To access protective and advocacy services.
To a full explanation of any restrictions of visitors, mail, telephone calls or other forms of communication determined by the hospital, you, or your family. Any restrictions are evaluated for their therapeutic effectiveness and are determined with your participation.
To freedom from restraints used in the provision of acute medical and surgical care unless clinically required.
To appropriate assessment and management of your pain.
To interpreters as available and to have your communication needs met. Interpreters, devices or materials are available to assist you with your communication needs due to vision, speech, hearing or language impairments.
To be informed about the outcomes of care including unanticipated outcomes. This includes an explanation of the outcome of any treatment or procedure when the outcome differs significantly from the anticipated outcome.
To receive information about the person(s) responsible for the delivery of your care, treatment, and services. SOMC employees wear identification badges with their names and job titles.
